Van Persie's future is the subject of conjecture as he has yet to agree an extension to his current contract at Arsenal, which expires in the summer of 2013, and the likes of Juventus have been linked with making a move for his services.

The striker is set to resume discussions with the Gunners after his participation with Netherlands at Euro 2012, and Santos is hopeful his stay in North London can be prolonged following a stunning 2011-12 campaign.

"He's amazing. Besides being a great person, he is also one of my best friends at Arsenal. He is a guy who has given me full support," Santos told ESPN Brasil.

"He is very intelligent on the pitch. He smashed the Premier League. It helped Arsenal get to where we are, in the Champions League spots, and I have no doubt that he will be one of the stars of Euro 2012.

"He has been at the club eight years and this was his best season. Sometimes, a player is interested in getting to know other teams and of course, playing well, he has attracted interest from many other teams. Of course your mind is affected.

"He is currently fully focused on the Euros and then, after, he can talk about whether he wants to stay with Arsenal."

After enduring a tricky start to his Manchester United career, perhaps it is fair that Marcos Rojo celebrated so boisterously as he watched his first professional club Estudiantes beat fierce rivals Gimnasia